Mitt does Fla., Ga.

Mitt Romney is rolling through Florida and Georgia Thursday, collecting a string of formal endorsements from prominent Republican officials as he goes. He starts the day in Tampa, where his campaign has lined up statements of support from four Florida Republicans: Reps. Tom Rooney, Ander Crenshaw and Connie Mack and state Sen. John Thrasher. Several of those officials have previously signaled that they’ll support Romney in 2012.

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In the afternoon, Romney will cross the border into Georgia, where he plans to tour a small business and attend a finance event. He’ll meet up with state Attorney General Sam Olens for a 3:30 p.m. visit to Kenny’s Great Pies in Smyrna, nabbing Olens’s endorsement in the process. Olens is a host of Romney's finance event in the state today.

Olens has this statement ready for release later: “Mitt Romney has a proven record of creating jobs, balancing budgets, and cutting taxes. He has the needed experience to lead the country out of this economic downturn.”

And the campaign has this teed up, from Connie Mack: “President Obama’s policies have failed Florida and the American people. Mitt Romney has the experience to lead a much-needed economic recovery. He has created jobs, balanced budgets, and cut taxes.”

Florida is a more essential part of Romney's primary map, since the state is attempting to go fifth in the calendar, after Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. But Georgia's also a valuable fundraising destination and Romney came within 4 points of winning the state in 2008, finishing a very close third behind Mike Huckabee and John McCain.